Eleven and Holding by Mary Penney Page B

pulled my hand back. “I know there’s something else going on; why won’t you admit it?”
    She made a teepee with her fingers and then covered her mouth a moment. “The ‘something else’ is that he can’t leave this project, honey. I’m afraid this is more important than anything right now.”
    What felt like a swarm of angry bees flew around inside my head. “I don’t believe you! You just don’t want him home, and he knows it!”
    She shook her head as her eyes filled up with tears. “That’s not true.”
    â€œIt IS true,” I yelled. “Ever since Dad got out of the service, you’ve been acting funny. You’re alwaysmad at him, and don’t try to tell me you’re not! I’m not stupid. I can smell it all over the place.”
    She tried to press the tremble out of her lips with her fingers. She nodded. “You’re right. I have been mad at him a lot. But that doesn’t mean I’m mad at you, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care about your father.”
    She pulled a napkin out of the dispenser on the table and wiped her eyes. I looked away from her face, noticing all of a sudden what she was wearing. She had on a Caffeine Nana’s T-shirt.
    â€œWhy are you wearing his shirt?” I asked, my voice sharp as a shard of glass.
    She looked down, startled. “Oh! This isn’t Dad’s shirt; it’s mine. Chuck gave it to me a while back.”
    â€œI know it’s not Dad’s shirt! I meant why are you wearing Chuck’s shirt?”
    Mom rubbed her forehead. “Why are we talking about Chuck? This isn’t about him.”
    â€œOf course it’s about him! Ever since he stole Nana’s coffee shop, our family has been falling to pieces. Why won’t you admit that?”
    Mom sat back in the booth, as if the force of what I said took her by the shoulders and pushed her back. “Honey, Chuck did not steal Nana’s from us, and hehas nothing to do with our family. I know you’ve got this grudge against him, but if you’d give him half a chance—”
    â€œIf I gave him half a chance, he’d probably try to move in here , too. Gee, he could just take Dad’s place. Then he’d have it all!” My voice cracked at the end, all crazy-like.
    Mom got up to come over to my side, but I shot out from the end of the booth. She tried to reach for me, but I backed away from her. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” I said.
    I whooshed my way out the kitchen door and into the living room. I nearly mowed right over Jack, who was staggering into the kitchen, dragging his blankie. I leaned over and scooped him up. He was limp and warm, like a little bear cub. I buried myself in his baby sweetness while I tried to calm myself. I whispered into his tiny ear as I carried him to his bed. “It’s time for me to go get Daddy, Jack. I’m bringing him back where he belongs. That’s an official Big Sister Promise. You can take that to the bank!”

CHAPTER NINE
    T he left wing of the old jet was cool and damp in the early morning air. I crawled out on all fours to Switch’s “mailbox,” trying not to slip and break my neck before the day had barely started. Sure enough, there were some initials scratched into the metal near the flap. Was it an S or a T ? Then an R and a J . I realized I didn’t even know his last name. Everybody always just called him Switch. But under the initials was a pasted skateboard decal. No mistaking this was his post office box.
    I unfolded the note I’d scrawled before I left the house. I’d used my left hand to make my writing look bad, like a little kid’s. Like Buster’s might look. I needed to throw Switch off track a bit. I’d die of guilt if he found the dog while I was in Los Robles. Tweewould never forgive me. Well, she would, but I could never forgive myself.
    I read the